Country Profile: Egypt

The state of human rights in Egypt continues to deteriorate. Rights activists say Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has overseen an unprecedented crackdown on freedom—including banning all unauthorized demonstrations—since first taking power in 2013 and then winning the election in 2014. Recent laws in Egypt have expanded the definition of “terrorism” to include all political dissent, granting prosecutors broad power to keep people detained for months and even years without ever filing charges or presenting evidence. 
Authorities have restricted the rights of freedom of expression, association, and peaceful assembly; enacted a draconian new antiterrorism law; and arrested and imprisoned government critics, political opposition leaders, students, and professors. Detainees face torture and other mistreatment, and courts have handed down hundreds of death and lengthy prison sentences after unfair mass trials. Throughout this, there has been a critical lack of accountability; most human rights violations were committed with impunity. Women and members of religious minorities are subject to discrimination and inadequately protected against violence. People have been arrested and tried on charges of “debauchery” for their perceived sexual orientation or gender identity. 

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Endangered Scholars Worldwide remains deeply concerned about the arbitrary arrest and sentencing of five Cairo University academics in the aftermath of the September 2019 protests against the Egyptian government.  See our website for current information about this and about the Egyptian administration’s continuing attacks, under the leadership of President Abdel Fattah el Sisi, on the independence of higher education institutions. 

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(Last updated: April 5, 2021)

Please send appeals to following:

Ambassador Yasser Reda

Egyptian Embassy to the United States

3521 International Ct. NW

Washington DC 20008

USA

Email:

Website:

Mohamed Fathi Ahmed Edrees

Egyptian Permanent Representative to the United Nations

United Nations

800 Second Avenue

New York, NY 10017

USA